The dilemma of air cargo security is in full flower these days. Those that have focused on the recent attempt to blow up a plane with bombs planted in cargo have a simple solution. Just inspect every inbound flight carefully and thoroughly with all means of detection at the disposal of the authorities. Use scanners, bomb dogs, dismantle every piece of equipment and search the plane from stem to stern. How easy can this be? The bombs may well be found and the terrorist attacks thwarted but in the process the air cargo industry will cease to exist. The price of cargo carried by airplane is far higher than shipping that good by ocean vessel or by ground – the costs of air travel are simply higher and there are scarcity issues determined by the number of planes that can land. The only reason that a shipper agrees to pay the higher costs of air freight is that they have a pressing need to ship extremely quickly and accurately. That is the sell for air cargo plain and simple – fast and reliable. If the inspection regimes slow the process down and create the potential for delays there is no longer a selling proposition.
There is the dilemma. How does the air cargo security improve while leaving the value proposition intact as these are mutually exclusive goals in many respects? The legislation that has been suggested thus far is paying no attention at all to these needs for balance. They politician is not going to win any points by trying to protect the integrity of a business model when there are so many opportunities to stand before the multitude and declare their concern for the security of the US of A.